Fire-escape



(No Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

.W. A. HOLBROOK.

V I 7 FIRE ESCAPE. No. 289,101. Patented Nov. 27, 1883.

UNTTED STATES PATENT Fries.

WALTER A. HOLBROOK, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

Fl RE -ESCAPE.

SPEUIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,101, dated November 27, 1883. i Application filed March 3,1883. (No modelJ- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER A. HoLBRooK, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of W'isconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire 1 Escapes 5 and I do hereby declare that the folthis specification.

My invention relates to that class of fireescapes which are permanently attached to buildings, and may be moved, as desired, from side to side.

It consists, essentially, of a tier of. small balconies suspended by four perpendicular iron rods from small wheels running upon a horizontal way, which is supported by bracket-s extendingfrom the upper part of the building at convenient intervals, and of light iron stairs connecting the balconies.

The objects of my invention are, first, a safe and easy means of escape from any window or opening in the highest building; second, a means of escape which the most timid woman or child will not be afraid to make use of in case of excitement or panic; and, third, to do awaywith costly and unsightly balconies extending across buildings at every floor.

' proved device as applied to 'a building upon two sides. Fig. 2 is a front elevation, on an enlarged scale, of a section of the frame-work and track or box from which the same is sus pended, with the front side of the box cut away to show the wheels running therein. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same, showing one of the brackets which support the box, and a section of the wall of the building in which the brackets are secured. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the floor of one of the balconies. Fig. 5 is an enlarged front view of a section of one-of the stairs. Fig. 6 is a side view of the same. Fig. 7 is a top view of a single stair; and Fig. 8 is a section of the box,

with a pair of wheels therein, and a portion of the bar connecting them with the framework of the balconies.

A A is a tier of iron balconies, upon which the windows of eachstory open as it is moved in front of them.

1) D D are light floors made of wire-netting, set in a frame of angle-iron, and hung upon a level with the wi ndow-sills at each story.

0 G are light iron stairs leading from one balcony to another. A small iron hand-rail is provided atthe outer side of each flight of stairs, and extends around each balcony on its three exposed sides. Each balcony is made dew and to allow room for the stair and a suitable landing.

E is a stair constructed like the others, and provided with a hand-rail on one side, and hinged at the top to the lower balcony, which is some distance above the ground. The upper end of the hand rail is extended and weighted, so as to form a counterpoise'to the stair when the same is turned upon its hinges. When not in use, the stair E is folded up against the balcony-frame, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

G G is a box-track composed of two pieces of channel-iron fastened together at the top by the iron plate L, which is riveted or bolted to each piece, so as to leave a space between them extending the entire length of the box, as shown in Fig. 8.

B B are iron brackets secured in the wall of the building and formed into eyes, through which the box G passes at their extremities. The under side of these eyes is made wide, so as to allow for the expansion and contraction of the box G. I

N N are two small wheels running inside of box G on each side of its central slot, and connected by a fixed axle, which passes through an eye in the bar 0, depending through the slot and secured to the frame-work of the balconies. By inclosing the wheels N N in a box, as shown, they are prevented from leavg their track, and obstructions of snow or ice are avoided.

a a is a wire rope attached to the upper ends of the bars 0 O, and passing over the pulleys b b at the ends of the box G, and then over the just large enough to embrace a single winpulley c and wheel F, which is located at some convenient point upon the ground, and pro.- vided with a crank, by means of which the balconies may be drawn to any tier of windows by a person below.

P P are triangular braces hung upon thebar T, in which the bars 0 0, depending from the axles of wheels NN, are secured. To the ends of the horizontal limbs of these braces are secured the rods H H, which sustain the balcon1es.

To prevent the frame from swaying, it is pro vi'ded at the inner side of the bottom with the pairs of small wheels (Z d, including between them the angle-iron track 00, restingupon and secured to small hracketsff, extending from the building. \Vhen applied to high build ings,a number of these staying devices may be placed at intermediate points.

I I are square iron rods or bars, upon which the open-work castiron steps K K are strung and keyed from the bottom, as shownin Figs. 5 and 6. I

I do not wish to confine myself to the exact construction of the boxed way G G shown in the drawings. Instead of the channel-bars M M, I may use an gle-iron with a covering of galvanized iron, or parallel bars or plates boxed with galvanized iron; andinstead of the square or flat rods or bars used for the frame-work of the balconies, as shown in the drawings, Imay use any other form of iron, such as round or angle iron, or even iron pipe.

The advantages of a tier of light balconies adapted to travel laterally across the face of a building, and connected by stairs, over ropes, ladders, fixed balconies, and the various forms offire-escapes now in use, are obvious.

The simple sheave construction by which the balconies are suspended and the peculiar form of the way or box in which the sheaves travel give a direct downward and equal pull upon the same, the weight coming between the wheels N N upon the depending bars 0 O.

WVhen the device is applied to buildings having a single room in each of the upper stories, a traveling escape becomesunnecessary, and the tier of balconies A A,'with the connectingstairs, may be permanently anchored to the upper part of the building, so as to be used at a single point of egress on each floor.

The operation of my improved fire-escape will appear from the foregoing description of its construction.

I claim i 1. In a fire-escape, the combination of a tier of light iron balconies, A A, composed of the floors D D, suspended by the four perpendicular rods H H from the upper part of the build ing, and the inclined skeleton stairs C 0, having broad steps K K and connecting said floors D forth.

D, substantially as and for the purposes set V 2. In a fire-escape, a' series of balconies, A A, composed of the skeleton floors D D, supported by the four perpendicular frame-pieces H H and connected by the inclined stairways O 0, each provided with ahand-rail at the side, in combination with the sheaves N N, traveling upon the horizontal way G G, and the way G G, permanently attached to the building, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a fire-escape, the combination of the series of balconies A A, stairs G O, sheaves composed of the wheels N N and dependingv bar 0, pivoted to their axle between the same, and the boxed way G G, consisting of the channel bars M M, secured together by cap-plate L, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination, in afire-escape, of atier of iron balconies, A A, composed of skeleton fioors D D and perpendicular supports H H, with the-inclined skeleton stairways G O, having broad steps K K andhand-rails at theside Y of each, and the folding stairs E, provided with a hand-rail at the side and counterbalanced, so as to be easily raised and lowered, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. A fire-escape consisting of a series of balconies, A A, suspended by the perpendicular rods .H H, with wire-netting floors D D, set in a frame of angle-iron at each story, and stairs O C, the whole depending from the triangular braces P P, suspended upon sheaves traveling in the boxed way G G, supported by brackets 5 B B, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In a fire-escape, the combination of atier of laterally-traveling balconies, A A, composed of floors D D and perpendicular supports H H, the inclined connecting-stairs 00, track 6 6, supported by brackets ff, secured to the building, and wheels (I d, running upon WW said track (2 e, for the purpose of steadying said balconies, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7 f The combination, in afire-escape consisting of a series of balconies, A A,suspended from traveling sheaves, of the channel-iron track G G, wheels N N, eyed connecting bars or hangers O O, pulleys b I) and 0, wheel and crank F, and wire rope a/a, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

- 8. As anew article of manufacture,the stairs 0, consisting of ironbars I I, strung at convenient intervals withcast-iron skeleton steps K K, which are keyed to the bars I I from below, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER A. HOLBROOK.

Witnesses:

Qrms. L. Goss, F. IV. ANDREE. 

